Air-brake system for trucks.



E. 6. CHANDLEH.

AIR BRAKE SYSTEM Fon TRUCKS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 23, ISIS.

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my l@ ELBERT Gr. CHANDLER, OFPORTLAND, OREGON.

AIR-BRAKE SYSTEMl FOR TRUCKS.

Specification Vci" Letters Patent.

PatentedDec. 25, 1917.

Application led October` 23, 1913. Serial No. 796,916.

Tov all wlomrz't may concern.' l

Be it known that I, ELBERT G. CHANDLER, acitizen of` the United States, residing in the city: off Portland, county of )YL/Iultnomah, and State of Oregon, have invent-ed certain new and useful Improvements in Air-Brake Systems for Trucks andV thev like, VIof which the following is a specification. v

My invention relates to air brake systems for trucks, and the like, and more particularly to an individual 0r unit ai'r l,brake mechanism or apparatus, complete in itself, and controllablefrom a distance., whereby to particularly adapt itA for use on logging trucks .or cars conncctedat long and varying distances apart in making up a train; For example, on logging roads it is the practice to have atrain made up of a series of individual four-wheeled trucks or cars7 one at each end of one or more logs7 thereby separat-ing` the trucks or cars from each other'at long and varying distances. Under such circumstances it is impracticable, if not impossible, to have pipes or air hose running from one truck or car to another for operating the air brakes of all the trucks in the train together in the usual manner.

The object ofmy invention is not only to make it easily possible, but to make it practical to control and operate individual air brake mechanismsnin series or individually, from a dist-antpoint, as from the engine.

I Vaccomplish this by providing each caror truck, with a cooperating combination of elements comprisingthe usual air brake mechanism, a storage tank, a compressor, .operated by the car itself when in motion, andan electrically controlled valve mechanism, thus requiring only electric wires from one car or truck to the next one, or to the place of control, which wires can be easily taken care Aof on spools or reels so as to be taken up, or

let. out, with a minimum amount of trouble and expense. l

In order that others may fully understand my invention, I have illustrated itas embodied in a logging car or truck on the Aaccompanying sheetV of drawings, which I will now describe.

Figure l' is a top plan view of .a fourwheeled truck or car equipped with my invention Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View, in side elevation, taken on line 2 2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3v is a sectional view through one form of compressor Fig. 4 is a sectional view through a magnetic valve mechanism, taken .on the irregular line Arf-4 of Fig. l, with parts in elevation; and" i H Fig. 5 is a. cross sectional View through the spooll or reel mechanism for; taking` ycare yof Athe circuit wires, as on line 5 5v of Fig. '1.

voir, as E', and the spool or'reel mechanism for the circuit wires, as F. These elements have aV connected and interdependent relationship in order to accomplish the result sought, namely, the provision yof individual or unit air brake apparatus controllable-individually, or in series, froma distant point by the use of a push button or Switch in an electric circuit.

The truck orfcar here shown for illustrative purposes is ofthe usual form and comprises a rectangular frame of heavy beams A 1'-A1, with cross pieces I2-A2, and the wheels Aie-A3', upon which said truck frame isiinounted in the usual manner.

The air bra-ke mechanism may be of the usual and wellV known construction and comprises an` air cylinder B1, with pistonv wor-king therein as-usual, withipiston rod Bgconnected-V to a seriesot operating levers, as B?, for operating the brake shoes B4, in a well known manner and: which need not be here described in detail.

The compressor may be mounted upon the under side of one ofthe cross beams A'--,as illustrated, and comprises a cylinder C?, with piston C2 working therein, and connected by means .of an arm C3 with an operating eccentric C4, mounted upon one of the axles of the truck or car, as shown. The compressor is shown more in detail in the sectional view, Fig. 3. The cylinder Cl is provided with an inlet, with check valve, as C5,'through whichY air rushes into the cylinder as the piston C2 is moved downwardly. From the ,opposite side Yol said cylinder leads a pipe C, to a storage tank or reservoir, E, with a check valve interposedtherein, asindicated, to prevent back flow. Mounted upon the side of'said compressor cylinder C1 and having a valve controlled communication therewith, is a governor-mechanism for opening an outlet from the compressor when a certain predetermined pressure within the storage tank or reservoir has been reached. This governing mechanism comprises a cylindrical casing, as C1, mounted upon the side of the compressor cylinder C1 and adapted to have communication therewith through a passageway, as C3, formed in the wall of said compressor cylinder C1. Said governor cylinder@ T is connected, as at C9, with the pipe C3 to the reservoir E, and is provided with a partition member, as C10, dividing it into two chambers, within which are mounted two pistons, as C11 and C12. The piston C11 controls a by-pass, C13, between said chambers, and is held in its normal position, as shown in Fig. 3, by means ot' a coiled spring C14. lVhen a predetermined pressure within the storage tank or reservoir E is reached, this pressure operates through the pipe connection C2 to vmove the piston C11 outwardly so as to open the by-pass C13 and permit air under pressure to pass to the opposite side of the partition C10, where it operates to move the piston C12. This piston C12 is connected to a valve member, as C15, which Vcontrols an outlet from the compressor cylinder C1, through the passageway C3, and opens it, whereby the air from said compressor cylinder passes out through said passageway C3 and to the atmosphere through a passageway C13, formed in a plug-like member C11,

`screwed into the connected end of said governor Cf as clearly illustrated. The piston C12 is also held in position to normally close the valve member C15 by means of a coiled vspring C18, seated in the end of the plug like member G11 and bearing against the piston C12.

So long as the ypressure within the storage tank or reservoir E and in the pipe C3, leading thereto, is sulicient to overcome the tension of the spring C11, which tension can be regulated by means of anut, as C13, the piston C11 will be held back and the passageway C13 kept open so thatair under pressure will move the piston C12 and the valve member G15 and thereby open an outlet from the compressor' through passageway C16. The reservoir E is connected by means ot pipes E1 and E2, through the magnetic valve mechanism D, to an air brake cylinder B. f

In Fig. et is shown a. sectional view, taken on an irregular line fl-#l of Fig. l, through an electrically controlled valve mechanism, for controlling` the communication between the reservoir E, and the air brake cylinder B, and also the exhaust from said air brake' cylinder B. This mechanism, as here illustrated, comprises a triangular shaped casing, secured to one of the cross beams A2 of the truck, as clearly indicated in Fig. l. At'its three corners, said casing is provided and D2 is designated as D1 and is connected with the pipe E2 leading to the air cylinder l5. T hev passage-way between the chambers in D2 and D3 is designated D5, and is con` nected with pipe E1 leading from the tank or reservoir E. An exhaust, as D3, opens t'rem the passageway between D1 and D3, as

shown, although in Fig. l the exhaust is illustrated by two projecting pipe ends for clearness only. Two electro-magnets D7 and D3 are mounted, respectively, upon the parts D1 and D3, which said magnets, by means of their cores, operate valve members, desigiated, respectively, as D2 and D10, for controlling passageways through said body or casing D The magnet D3 is normally energized and thevalve member D10 is held in the tip-position, as shown in Fig. 4. Thus air from the reservoir E, passes through the pipe E1 into the governor casing D, and into the passageway D5 therein. between chambers in D2 and D3, trom which it passes through passageway D11 into the lower part of the cylindrical casing D3, of the governor body, and also into the passageway D12, leading into the middle chamber, in D2, of the governor casing. The air which'passes through passageway D11 into D3, inds its way upwardly through a groove or by-pass D13 in the valve member D10, and thence through D, to the upper portion of chamber in D2, above a valve member mounted therein and designated D15 normally held down by means of the coiled spring D13, acting against the under side of a plug D11, screwed into the upper end ot easing D2. So long as the solenoid D3 is energized and the valve member D10 is in its raised position, as shown, the air can go no farther, and the valve member D15 in the middle casing D2, is not moved, for the air pressure is the same above and below it, and the spring holds it down. If the circuit to solef x ing D3, and it also retains communication therewith at its upper end, thereby opening an exhaust passageway from the chamber above the valve member D15, throughl D1", upwardly through groove D1S Vand thence out through the exhaust D11. The air from the passageway D5 then must pass into the lower chamber of D2 below the valve member D15. -a-.nd under the pressure said valve member D15 is raised sufficiently to Vopen anoutlet at D19, D2o and D21'to the passageway D* leading tothe brake 'cylinder B, whereupon the `brakes are set'and remain so until the brake cylinder B is opened to an exhaust. This is accomplished by energizing solenoid D7, which operates to raise the valve member D9 and thereby openv an outlet or exhaust from said vbrake cylinder B through passageways D4, 22, D23 and D24, to the exhaust DG. The exhaust pipes 'D--Ds are here shown (Fig. @as separate pipes, but in actual construction would preferably terminate in a single pipe, as at D, inFig. l.

I will next describe the circuit wires for controlling the magnet valves D7 and DS, ztnd'the reel upon which said circuit wires arewound, designated as a whole by F.

This comprises a double reel F1, mounted in the frame F1, upon a pin, as F3, and has as a part thereof a pinion F1, adapted to be driven from a spring controlled gear F5, Fig. l, whereby as the reel turns in one direction, said spring is tightened and 'tends to turn the reel in the opposite direction, as in a curtain roller, to wind up the wire thereupon. From t-he solenoid DS run two circuit wires l and 2, the wire 2 running to the truck wheel A3, and to the ground through the rail, and the wire l, running to and connecting with a terminal, as F6, projecting from a wiper ring F7, mounted in the frame F2 and insulated therefrom, as shown. From the solenoid D7 there also runs two circuit wires 3 and 4, the wire 4 running to the truck wheel A3 and thence to the ground through the rail, and the wire 3 running to and connecting with a terminal, as F8, projecting from a lower wiper or contact ring F, mounted in the lower part of the frame F1, and insulated therefrom, as shown at F10. Mounted upon the double reel, and separated from each other by an annular fiange F11, are two circuit wires 5 and 6, adapted to be unwound and extended to another truck, or to any desired point for switch control. The innermost ends of the wires 5 and 6 wound upon the reel F1, are extended through the outer flanges of said reel, as at 51 and 61 and are connected, respectively to wiper members F12 and F13 mounted upon the opposite sides of said reel and adapted to engage, respectively, with the contact rings F7 and F9, whereby as the reel is turned to wind or unwind the wires 5 and 6, the wipers F11 and F13 move in contact with the contact rings F7 and F9, and thus maintain circuit connections between the wires 5 and 6, and the wires 1 and 3 from the solenoids D7 and D8, and make it possible to unwind the wires 5 and 6 to any desired length for connection to a truck at some distance therefrom, vor to a switch at some desired point y'offcontroL without interfering withthe circuit `tosaid solen'oids y It will vbe understood, therefore, from l'the foregoin'gdescription that each vcar or truck is provided with acomplete air -brakeemechanismfcomp'rising a compressor, which is operatedby the movement of the car, a reservoir-into which the airis stored,.an airbrake cylinder with connect-ions tothe brake shoes, asusual, and an electrically controlled valve mechanism for l'opening and closing communic'ation between Athe vreservoir and the air brake cylinder, and for opening and closing an exhaust `from said air brake-cylinder,ethus making'it necessary in connecting up favseries of trucks `orcars at Various distances apart' toprovide only circuit wire connections between said trucks,-insteadof providing 1pipe or hose connections from-one truck .to another, `as in rthe -usual -air ybrake system. VUnder the present formofithe invention the-magnet controlling the communieating-passageway from the reservoir'toithe air-brake cylinder is normally energized and closes said passageway. Therefore in case of accident which breaksv the circuit fwires, said lmagnet is denergized and the passageway to said air brake cylinder is automatically opened and the brakes are set. If it is desired to set the brakes at will at any time, it is only necessary for the engineer to open a switch of any kind to open the circuit, and the same result is effected. The magnet which controls the exhaust passageway from the air brake cylinder is normally denergized and in order to release the air and thereby release the brakes, it is necessary for the engineer or operator to close the circuit of the magnet, thereby moving the valve member D9 which opens the exdiaust and releases the brakes. Provision is also made for the exhaust from the compressor after a certain pressure is reached in the reservoir, as hereinbefore described. This is made necessary for the reason that the compressor is operated whenever the car is running, being driven from the axle, as before described.

I am aware that many changes can be made from the embodiment of the invention here shown for purposes of illustration without departing from the spirit thereof, and I do not, therefore, limit the invention to the particular form here shown, except as I may be limited by the hereto appended claims.

I claim:

l. In combination with a disconnected car, or truck, an individual and independent air brake mechanism operated by said car and adapted to be electrically controlled, circuit wires to said air brake mechanism, said circuit wires being adapted to be extended to other similar trucks at a distance therefrom, whereby said air brake mechanisms may be operated together, and means on said car for Winding up and letting out said circuit Wires t0 various distances.

2. In combination with a disconnected car, or truck, an individual or unit air brake apparatus therefor, adapted to be electrically controlled, the same comprising an air compressor operated by said truck, a reservoir connected thereto, an air cylinder with brake mechanism operable thereby, electrically controlled valve mechanism for opening and closing a communicating passageway from said reservoir to said air brake cylinders, circuit Wires controlling said air brake mechanism, and means on said car for winding up and letting out said circuit Wires to various distances.

3. ln combination, a car provided With an individual air brake apparatus adapted to be electrically controlled, circuit connections therefor, adapted to be extended from one car to another, and means for Winding up said circuit connections and letting them out at will, to permit said cars to be coupled at long distances apart, substantially as described.

4. A truck, or car, provided with an individual, or unit, air brake apparatus, comprising in combination, a source ojt air under pressure, an air brake cylinder with brake apparatus operable therefrom, magnet valves for controlling communication between said source of air and said air brake ELBERT G. CHANDLER.,

In presence of R. B. FRENCH, J. C. STRENG.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

